Pearson Launches Mobile-first Solution to Help Students Become Better Writers and Communicators
Boston (PRWEB) October 01, 2013 -- According to the Educational Policy Improvement Center, writing may be the academic skill most closely associated with college success. In an effort to help students write more effectively across all their college courses, Pearson has launched Pearson Writer, a new resource that helps students improve their writing and manage their research projects. Designed for mobile and available from any device or browser, Pearson Writer is intended for today’s on-the-go students, allowing them to find accurate answers to their writing and research questions, and to think critically as they revise and edit.
“All educators and learning experts can agree that writing is an essential skill in the 21st century, not only in school but also in so many occupations,” said Paul Crockett, Director, New Media Product and Strategy at Pearson. “Many high school students entering college, and college students entering the job market, lack the abilities to write and communicate clearly. Our goal with Pearson Writer is to help more students achieve these skills.”
Pearson Writer puts curated content at the student’s fingertips with a state-of-the-art, intelligent search engine designed for education. In an exclusive partnership, Pearson Writer integrates content from Purdue OWL, the single most referenced website for writing instruction in the world, as well as Pearson’s premium content for writing, grammar and research.
Since January, Pearson Writer has been piloted by over 8,000 students and 150 instructors at over 100 schools nationwide. Feedback from students and educators informed continued development, resulting in an easy-to-use tool that helped students better prepare for writing assignments.
Dr. Doug Bourne, English professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, who was involved in the pilot, stated, “I think the biggest benefit of using Pearson Writer is that students saw a product that was trying to adapt to the ways they currently use technology—making the writing process much smoother for them.”
Student feedback from the pilot was overwhelmingly positive.
“Pearson Writer is a tool all students can use to their advantage,” said Bree Hardwick, a student at Southern New Hampshire University. “I used the Writing Review option to check for grammar and spelling issues before submitting. The resource citation option—Cite a Source—helped me most. Pearson Writer helped me keep my thoughts and sources organized. When I started my courses, I struggled a bit, but I haven’t had an issue since I started using Pearson Writer!”
Using a suite of project management tools, students keep track of writing assignments and manage their sources all in one place. Students can generate citations in various documentation styles. With the mobile app, students can even cite a book by scanning its bar code with their camera. Students also have access to thousands of academically-credible, full–text sources that can be easily searched, viewed, and cited.
The Writing Review feature offers students the opportunity to instantly evaluate their writing for grammar and style issues, encouraging critical thinking as they revise and edit.
Pearson Writer is designed to help students with writing and research across all disciplines, and its interface is so intuitive, that no set-up or technical expertise is required by students or faculty. Pearson Writer will complement on-campus resources by giving students access to trusted content and effective tools in a familiar format, when they need it most. To learn more, visit http://www.pearsonhighered.com/writer.
About Pearson
Pearson is the world’s leading learning company, providing educational materials and services and business information through the Financial Times Group. Pearson serves learners of all ages around the globe, employing 41,000 people in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit http://www.pearson.com.
About Purdue's Online Writing Lab
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University develops and houses writing resources and instructional materials, and provides them as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.
Media Contact: Susan Aspey, susan.aspey(at)pearson(dot)com or 800-745-8489
Susan Aspey, Pearson, http://www.pearson.com, +1 (800) 745-8489, [email protected]
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